State funeral of King Harald of Norway announced for September 9 in Oslo

The royal palace announced this Sunday that the state funeral of King Harald of Norway, who died on August 28, will be held on Wednesday, September 9 at Oslo Cathedral. The ceremony will be attended by representatives of Norwegian institutions and members of the royal houses of Europe and, after the funeral, the remains of the previous Norwegian monarch will be buried in the royal pantheon of the Akershus fortress, where his parents, Olav and Marta, and his grandparents, Haakon and Maud, already rest.

The ceremony will take place at 1 pm and, at least an hour before, the funeral procession will leave the royal palace to travel down Oslo's main street to the cathedral. The funeral mass will be officiated by the presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, and will also be attended by the bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, and other pastors of the Lutheran church.

The coffin containing the remains of King Harald has remained in the red hall of the royal palace since it was transferred last Friday afternoon from the hospital where he died early in the morning. During these days, the closest relatives have been watching over King Harald, but this Monday he will be transferred to the palace chapel. From Tuesday until the 8th, the eve of the funeral, citizens will be able to access the palace to say goodbye to their king.

This Monday, the coffin with the remains of King Harald will be carried through the Yellow Hall, the Hall of Mirrors, the Daily Dining Room, the Small Banquet Hall and the Great Banquet Hall, accompanied by his two children, Marta Luisa and Haakon, and his five grandchildren, Princes Ingrid Alejandra and Sverre Magnus, and Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora and Emma Tallulah Behn. Queen Matte-Marit and Queen Sonia also participate in the procession, led by King Harald's Chief of Staff, in charge of carrying the royal crown on a cushion. Other senior officials of the royal palace will carry the Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and British decorations and also the Spanish Golden Fleece, awarded by King Juan Carlos to his counterpart Harald, in 1995. Once in the chapel, the coffin will be placed on a catafalque covered by a velvet mantle, and wreaths will be placed.

Before opening the chapel to the citizens, a private religious service will be held, attended by King Harald's family, court officials and his staff.